The invention relates generally to nail adornments; nasi adornments for the natural nail such as artificial nails; finger nails and toe nails, nasi extensions, nail tips, nail wraps and so on and more specifically, the invention is a pre-glued nail adornment arrangement having a removable covering layer protecting the adhesive layer and a method of making the nail arrangement.

Prior art and problems to be solved

Artificial nails made from deformable plastics members are well known in the art, US63941QQ CHANG provides a good example of such a nail. Such nails are common! fixed to a user's natural nail by using a bottle of adhesive. dhesive has long been deemed messy and cumbersome by many,

GB933981 AYLOTT provided a solution, in pre-glued nails, the adhesive portion of which is covered by silicon which has since been adopted widely and is produced in many variations.

As an alternative, U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,934 issued to Mast et. aL, provides an adhesive press- on tab system for attaching artificial fingernails to the user's natural nails. The tabs are essentially of a double-sided adhesive tape with removable layers that are interposed between the artificial fingernail and the natural fingernail

A problem with these pre-glued, covered artificial nails has been the tendency of the adhesive to perish more quickly than is desirable. There is a need to find means of extending the useful life of the adhesive, in order that the subject artificial nail adornment lasts for longer.

A second problem which has been noted with such products is the tendency of the covers which protect the adhesive backing to slide or drop off from the adhesive, thus exposing the adhesive prematurely and leading to the spoiling of the artificial nail - for example, because it sticks to something it ought not to stick to. it is amongst the aims of the invention to attempt to find solutions to these and other problems.

In a first broad, independent aspect, the invention comprises a nail adornment

arrangement, the nail adornment arrangement comprising a nail adornment body, the nail adornment body comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is so sized and shaped to conform to the shape of at least a part of a user's natural nail the arrangement further comprising a quantity of adhesive material attached to the second surface, wherein the adhesive material comprises an, in use, exposed surface for adhering the nail adornment body to a user's natural nail, when the exposed surface is brought into pressing contact with the natural nail, the arrangement further comprising a removable cover, the cover covering at least a part of the, in use, exposed surface, and which may, in use, be removed in order to expose the covered part of the adhesive layer, such that the adhesive layer can be applied to and adhered to the natural nail, and wherein the removable layer comprises at least one perforation running through the cover, wherein the at least one perforation comprises a shaped aperture, said aperture comprising a width and a length and wherein the span of the length of the aperture is similar to substantially identical to the span of the width.

The cover serves to cover the adhesive material on the nail body. The presence of perforations has three advantages. The first is that it allows the cover to be attached to the adhesive material bearing back of the body such that air bubbles which may otherwise be trapped between the cover and the body are evacuated through the perforations, This in turn allows for a more complete contact across a greater surface area then would be the case if the air bubbles were to subsist between the adhesive material and the removable cover.

Second, the presence of perforations allows the removable cover to be attached to the adhesive material without wrinkling or creasing of the cover because the a r bubbles are evacuated.

An advantage of having a perforated cover relative to a cover with for example a slit in it is that the amount of glue surface exposed to the environment and thus also liable to decay more quickly is both tightly controlled (the size of the gulf between the two parts which constitute this slit may be widened or narrowed greatly especially where the slit meets the side of the cover; in the case of perforations the amount of adhesive material which is exposed to the atmosphere and therefore decay is both controlled and limited). This allows for longer lasting adhesion of the nail body to the users natural nail.

Preferably, the at least one perforation has a rounded aperture.

Preferably, the at least one perforation has an aperture with a continuously curved perimeter.

The use of rounded apertures, including circular apertures and those with a continuously curved perimeter is advantageous because having an aperture without angles tends to allow for the more uniform and more thorough evacuation of air bubbles through the apertures of the perforation or perforations.

Preferably, there is a plurality of perforations arranged in a row. More preferably, the row of perforations is curved, More preferably, the curve of the perforations Is such that the perforation at each end of the curve is nearer a first side edge of the removable cover than the perforation substantially at the middle of the curve.

The provision of a plurality of perforations in a row, more particularly a curved row and more particularly a crescent shaped curved row allows for the effective targeting of air bubbles in problematic areas of the contact area between the adhesive materia! and the cover layer, The curved row of perforations is particularly preferred because the gradient of the crescent or arc can be adapted to follow the concave curve of the nail body's concave surface.

Preferably, there are at least two rows of perforations, with at least a first row of perforations extending substantially longitudinally from a first row end, said first row end being, In use, proximal the user's cuticle, to a second row end, said second row end being, in use, distal the user's cuticle.

The provision of two rows of longitudinally arranged perforations is a particularly efficacious configuration of perforations for letting out the air bubbles.

More preferably, the distance between adjacent perforations in a given row is uniform,

Uniformity of the distance between adjacent perforations is desirable in order that when the cover is pressed on to the adhesive surface of the nail body, the cover may be "rolled" on; where this is the case, the provision of regularly spaced perforations will allow for the straightforward and thorough evacuation of the air relative the cover.

Preferably, the perforations are arranged in a formation which resembles a symbol

A symbol or pattern of perforations will be of considerable use for the imparting of information concerning the use of the cover or providing a branding opportunity. Preferably, the arrangement comprises one or more perforations located su stantially in the central area of the cover. Air bubbles are particularly commonplace in or towards the middle of the adhesive bearing surface of the nasi body, because this Is where the concavity of the nail body s at its deepest As such it is particularly useful to have perforations in the corresponding central area of the cover. Preferably, there is a plurality of perforations, and the perforations are homogeneous in size.

Homogeneous steed perforations are particularly desirable in that they may be produced quickly and accurately with a single tool. Further, homogeneous perforations are desirable in that they necessarily let the same rate of air out as each other if they are pressed towards the back of the artificial nail with equal force.

Preferably, the cover s arranged, in use, relative the nail body, such thai a portion of the cover projects from the periphery of the nail adornment body, such that the said portion of the cover comprises a projection.

The provision of a projection makes it easier for the cover to be removed from the nail body. More preferably, the projection comprises an overlapping fringe which runs along substantially an entire side of the nail adornment body.

A fringe is a preferred version of the projection because it is straightforwardly fashioned as an extended portion of the cover, rather than being a discretely moulded additional portion.

Further, the width of the fringe is of particularly utility to the user who may wish to peel the cover from the nail body from a given angle for a particular reason. Preferably, a portion of the second surface does not have adhesive material on it, such that the cover covers said portion of the second surface, but is not adhered to the adhesive material The provision of a nail body portion of the second surface which does not have adhesive material on it Is particularly desirable as a further means of allowing for the easy removal of the cover relative to the nail body - a non-adhered portion can be peeled off easily by the user, and provides purchase for removing the rest of the cover. Preferably, the fringe is elliptical in profile, such that the distance from the edge of the fringe to the edge of the cover is greater towards the middle of the edge, than it is at either one of its ends.

The elliptical fringe is particularly desirable in that it encourages the user to remove the cover from the nail body by grasping the centre portion of the fringe and pulling it longitudinally down the nail body such that the cover is removed at the cuticle contacting end of the nail body first and therefore the portion of the nail body ready for sticking that is adjacent the cuticle contacting portion. Preferably, the cover further comprises one or more of any of the following features:

® Slits;

* Slots;

» Channels. The slits, slots and channels serve to stop the cover from creasing and/or wrinkling when applied to the adhesive surface, by allowing areas of the cover either side of the slit, slot or channel to flex and move relative to the other.

Preferably, the cover is transparent,

A transparent cover allows the user to see which parts of the cover are adhered to the nail body and which parts are not. ?

The invention also comprises a nail adornment arrangement substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated by any combination of the text and/or drawings. In a second, broad, independent aspect, the invention comprises a method of making a nail adornment arrangement, the nail adornment arrangement comprising a nail adornment body, the nasi adornment body comprising a first surface and a second surface, wherein the second surface is so sized and shaped to conform to the shape of at least a part of a user's natural nasi, the arrangement further comprising a quantity of adhesive material attached to the second surface, wherein the adhesive material comprises an, in use, exposed surface for adhering the nail adornment body to a user's natural nail, when the exposed surface is brought into pressing contact with the natural nail, the arrangement further comprising a removable cover, the cover covering at least a part of the, in use, exposed surface, and which may, in use, be removed in order to expose the covered part of the adhesive payer, such that the adhesive layer can be applied to and adhered to the natural nail, and wherein the removable layer comprises at least one perforation running through the cover, wherein the at least one perforation comprises a shaped aperture, said aperture comprising a width and a length and wherein the span of the length of the aperture is similar to substantially identical to the span of the width,

The method confers all the advantages of the equivalent product, as stated above.

The invention also comprises a method of making a nail adornment arrangement substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated by any combination of the text and/or drawings.

In a third broad, independent aspect, the invention also comprises a nasi adornment arrangement cover as specified in any of claims 1-18. The invention also comprises a cover, substantially as described herein, with reference to and as illustrated by any combination of the text and/or drawings.

The invention will now be described with reference to the figures, of which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first embodiment of the invention

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of a plurality of examples of the invention.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first embodiment of the invention

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan view of a further embodiment of the invention

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a still further embodiment of the invention; and Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side view of a first embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of the preferred embodiments

Figure 1 shows a nail adornment 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The term "nail adornment " comprises but is not limited to artificial nails, including, a full-cover nail intended to be applied over the entire surface of a user's natural nail but can also cover a nail wrap, a nail extension or "nail tip" intended to be applied to at least one portion of the user's natural nail, and the like. The term also includes toenails.

The adornment 2 at figure 1 is an artificial nail and comprises a body 4. The body 4 corresponds to a shape of at least one portion of a natural fingernail. The body 4 may generally conform to the shape of a natural nail, or it may take a different shape - for example, an exaggerated, elongated nail, or a tapered nail; the skilled man will be able to fashion the shape of the nail in accord with contemporary wishes. The body 4 is preferably made from a composition of Acrylonitrile-Butadtene-Styrene 'ABS") plastic and a polycarbonate, but may be made of any plastics or plastic-related material used in the manufacture of artificial nails, including without limitation ABS plastic, nylon, tenite acetate, vinyl acetate, polycarbonates, polyvinyl chloride, or other materials such as metals, alloys, natural fibres or other woven materials, examples of which composition will be known from the prior art. Body 4 is preferably less than 1mrn thick and more preferably has a thickness within the range 0.3mm and 0.7mm. Looking at figure 6, body 4 comprises a first surface 6, which in use is away from the user's natural nail and a second surface 8 which faces and in use contacts the top surface of the user's natural nail. On at least a part of second surface 8, there is adhesive material 10. The adhesive material 10 is of a known, appropriate type and is in preferred embodiments a pressure sensitive adhesive. The adhesive material 10 may be directly applied to second surface 8, or it may be borne on a film carrier as adhesive tape. The adhesive material 10, in use, sticks or adheres the second surface 8 of the body 4 to the user's natural nail The adhesive material 10 will in some instances comprise an homogenous layer over part of the second surface 8 and in other instances be applied to the second surface 8 such that it is not such a layer · ^■■■ the adhesive material 10 Is dotted or striped or suchlike or it can be an adhesive coated film of plastics material. The thickness of the adhesive material 10 is preferably in the region of 0.05-0.99 mm, which

advantageously provides sufficient thickness of adhesive for adherence, without being so thick that the adhesive material 10 may be moved laterally and the body 4 thereby moved out of its user-desired position.

A removable cover 12 is provided, for covering the adhesive material 10 prior to the application of the body 4 to the natural nail When covering the adhesive material 10, the removable cover 12 ensures that the adhesive material 10 does not stick to something in an unwanted fashion. When required for fitting to a user's finger or toenail, the cover 12 can be removed, thereby revealing the adhesive material, such that the body 4 can be stuck onto the natural nail by the user. The removable cover can be of plastics material or of silicon paper or of any other appropriate material or combination of materials, which may be transparent or translucent. At figure 5 there is shown a patch of nail body 36 which does not have a coating of adhesive material 10. The cover 12 may thus be removed easily via the peeling back of the cover 12, initially via the peeling of this non-adhered part 36 of the said cover 12. in prefened embodiments, such as that shown in figure 1, the removable cover 12 provides a projection 14; this projection 14 aids the removal of the cover 12 from the adhesive material The projection 14 projects from and extends outwardly from the body 4, In particularly preferred embodiments, the projection 14 extends from the, in use, bottom end 16 of removable cover Ί2 - the end which corresponds with the, in use, cuticle contacting end 18 of the body 4, which is attached at or close to the cuticle of a natural nail. In particularly preferred embodiments, this projection 14 is simply an extension of one of the dimensions of the cover and as such forms a fringe 20 along one of the sides of the body 4, rather than being a thin, easily breakable tab or the like. In particularly preferred embodiments, the fringe 20 has a centrally located apex 22 which extends further from the body than either of the periphery areas 24 of the fringe 20, The projection 14 can project from any of the sides or ends of the cover 12 and a plurality of projections 14 can be utilised, Further, in some preferred embodiments, the projection 14 may project from a non-periphery portion of the first surface 6 or second surface 8 of the body 4,

perpendicularly, substantially perpendicularly or obliquely to the plane of the first surface 6 or second surface s.

The removable cover 12 has in it at least one perforation 26 and preferably a plurality of perforations, running through the cover 12, The or each perforation will comprise a way through the cover 12 and may comprise an aperture of between 0.01rnm-5mm» with particularly preferred perforations being between 0.1mm and 1.5 mm in diameter. The perforation is made such that it has a width similar to its length - by similar, It is meant that no one of the width or length will he markedly different from the other one of the width or length.

The walls of the aperture of the perforation 26 are most preferably rounded or curved, or continuously curved to the naked eye, although all other shapes of perforation and particularly perforations comprising apertures with any number of sides and preferably perforations with fewer than twelve sides such as square and triangular perforations are preferred. The perforation 26 is made in a known way. Where there is a plurality of perforations 26, they may be arranged in any conceivable formation, with preferred formations including straight and curved rows. At Figure 1, a curved row 28 is shown. At figure 3 a straight row 30 is shown, The rows may be laterally longitudinally and radially orientated relative to the cover 12, in use. The perforations 26 are arranged in some preferred embodiments such that they are equidistant from each other and in others, the distribution will differ such that perforations do not appear to be in a particular formation.

As figure 2 shows, where there is a set of nails, different numbers of perforations may be used to correspond with the different sizes of nail. Thus, a middle finger nail cover 32 will comprise two curved rows of five perforations each and a little finger nail cover will comprise two curved rows of three perforations each; preferably therefore no more than five on each side on the biggest nail cover and reduced according to nail size. The perforations 26 may also be arranged in a formation which comprises a symbol 36, as in figure S, in some embodiments, such as those shown in figure 1, all perforations 26 will be surrounded by the material of the cover 12. During the perforating process material may be removed completely or a perforation may be made without removing any material. At figure 4, there Is further shown the possibility of adding to the cover one or more slits, slots or channels 40. These slits, slots or channels may be orientated in any of horizontal, vertical or radial orientation, and, where a plurality of slits Is used, they may be arranged such that a mixture of orientations is provided.

It is intended that the nail adornments 2 may be sold in sets, with one nail arrangement 2 corresponding with each finger and thumb nail on a pair of hands - thus there are envisaged to be ten nail adornments 2 of various sizes per set.